Sisters of the Moon
by Sarcastrow
Summary: Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang, Lavender Brown, Padma Patil, Pavati Patil, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell form the Sisters of the Moon. As time and life go on the bonds of friendship, love and magic are explored. Pansy tried
1. Comeuppance

Sisters of the Moon

Chapter 1

Comeuppance

The dark-haired young woman strode confidently down the London pavement, her three inch leather clad heels shooting sparks with every step. Sometimes the Muggle girls asked her how she made them do it. "Just a little_ firespark _charm," she'd tell them, and her answer always got a puzzled laugh. It was good to be young, free, and a witch in the London club scene. She made a handsome living giving rich Muggle men exactly what they wanted, or at least that's what they remembered. Finding her prey was easy. A man would show up at the club throwing money around, and generally making a drunken spectacle of himself. Then she would be there, handing him a drink. With a few drops of a very special liquid hidden in her ring she would be assured that the young man's attention was exclusively hers. Afterward she would leave him with a memory of wild debauchery and a raven haired girl who had done the most amazing things to him. He would also be left with a good deal less money. The charm was simple, but sometimes, if he was particularly good looking, the memory was real.

That was how it normally had gone, but tonight, well, tonight had been a bit different. _He_ had come in the club: the hero, her former schoolmate, and the brother of the big Quidditch star. She'd watched him from afar when they were at school, wondering what it was that made some people heroes and others bystanders. His name had always come up when she and her roommates had talked in the night about who the fanciable boys in the school were, even if he was in bloody Gryffindor. Then he and his friends had fought the Dark Lord and, against all odds and logic, won. She had wondered then, as she wondered now, what it would be like to be held in those powerful arms, kiss those rich full lips, and most of all to know if the old saw was right, "red on the head, fire down below." She was grinning madly to herself because she'd know soon enough.

He'd brought his own goblet tonight; nothing terribly odd about that, some folks did. That had just made it harder to get the potion into his drink. She, however, had had a lot of practice. She had slid between him and his mates, placed her hand on the top of his cup, and batted her black and green eyelashes at him. A tap with the pinky finger on the side of her ring and the job was done. He hadn't even recognized her. She was a bit put out about that, after all she had been the prettiest Slytherin girl ever. However, he had been in a different house, and her hair and clothes were not what he was used to seeing her in. It was a good thing that he hadn't remembered anyway. She'd got him away from his friends, and managed to get part of a nervous dance out of him. Lastly, as he was fumbling his way back to his mates at the bar, she slipped him her address. Now all she had to do was get home, lift some of the concealing and protective enchantments at her flat, and wait for the potion to take full effect. He'd be there shortly.

From an alleyway across the street a pair of black eyes narrowed and watched her slide her wand from its holster on her thigh, and then a grim smile formed beneath those same eyes as the dark-haired woman undid the shield charm from her walkway that prevented apparition directly to her door. Pansy liked to see who her visitors were. The instant the shield dropped there was a loud snap, and before she could turn around a silky voice said, "_Petrificus Totalus._" A hand found her shoulder and steadied her before she toppled over. Another, ivory white with jet black nails, slid her wand from between her fingers. "You won't be needing this for a while," said the low sweet voice, and a beautiful Asian woman stepped into her field of view. Pansy recognized her immediately: it was Cho Chang.

"My sisters and I would like a word with you," she said, and the world was squeezed out of existence and into darkness.

-~####

Her feet slammed into hard rock, and her heels made sparks as reality flooded back. She was standing in the middle of a stone circle, and she could hear the nearby sea, crashing onto an unseen shore. Cho was still on her left, holding her upright. Another presence was to her right, but the only person she could see was the woman in front of her. She was blonde and dressed all in white; her robes, her shirt, her shoes, even the flowers in her hair were as pale as her skin. Standing there in the light of the full moon she glowed and shimmered. Pansy's eyes were watering from the brightness when the woman began to speak.

"You're very lucky, Pansy," said the blonde, in a tone she might have used for a friend who'd just got exactly what they wanted for their birthday. "If we hadn't been visiting Hermione when she got the warbler from Ron's goblet, she'd be here, and you'd have missed out on this great learning opportunity."

There was a chuckle from behind her and Pansy realized that there was someone else there. "Oh Hermione would have taught her a lesson alright, just not the ones we're going to teach." That voice was familiar too.

"Well, shall we begin?" said the blonde. "Cho?"

Pansy was suddenly free of the binding curse, and she rounded on Cho. "You have no right to kidnap me. You are in serious trouble. I…?"

An impossibly strong hand grabbed her by the collar, hoisted her into the air, and slammed her into the soft fur covering the woman behind her. Hot breath whispered in her ear as the woman's nails cut into the skin on her neck.

"As I recall, your beloved Professor Snape told you that you can't learn if your mouth is moving," said the thickly accented voice.

Cho was looking at her with a mixture of humor and pity, and the red headed woman to Pansy's left was shaking in silent laughter.

"So your best plan is to shut…the fuck…up," the voice said, and the hand set her down.

Pansy whirled to face this other woman and tell her what she could do, but the retort was lost in her throat as she stared into the beautiful and terrifying visage of a werewolf.

Pansy's knees threatened to abandon her as a wave of pure fear swept through her. She backed into Cho. The redhead was having trouble standing too, but her trouble was from mirth. Framed by the rising moon the werewolf stepped up to her, bent low, drew a long sniff up her body, and said, "Delicious." Pansy's world contracted to a small circle far away down a black hall, and she felt a little urine trickle down her leg.

"Lavender," the blonde said. "Let's be nice."

"If we must." the werewolf sighed, and stalked back to her place in the circle.

Pansy's world was coming back now. Her fear-addled brain was furiously trying to negotiate with her memory to place these women. As Cho nudged her back into her place in the circle to face the blonde, it all snapped into focus. The Auror Cho Chang she had already recognized; the woman on her right was the werewolf Lavender Brown; behind her, she realized, was none other than Ginny Potter, wife of the chosen one. This meant that the blonde could only be Luna Lovegood. Pansy was standing wandless between four very important and powerful witches, and she quickly concluded she was in very deep trouble indeed.

Pansy began to blubber. "I'm-m sorry, whatever I did I'M REALLY SORRY."

Luna looked deep into her eyes. "Hmm, well you're sorry you got caught, sorry that you're here, but you're not yet sorry for the act… of violating another woman." There was a strong note of pity in the last statement. She walked away in a clockwise circle around her. "Women have come together under the full moon since magic first arose, to learn and to teach, to celebrate and to mourn, to laugh and to cry," – she smiled and looked sideways at Pansy– "and to save a wayward sister from time to time." Luna raised her wand. "We conjure thee, great circle of power, that we might share our magic, our strength, our souls." The other women had their wands out too, and they waved them in great sweeping arcs above their heads. There was a rippling in the air around them and a vast clear bubble formed over the circle. Pansy had never seen this before, and she was frightened and awed by the power she felt charging the atmosphere.

"You have followed a very selfish path, Pansy," said Cho. "We're here to show you where that leads, how to turn from it, and most importantly why." She reached out, took Pansy's hand, and in a kind voice said, "Look at me."

Pansy looked into the black pools that were Cho's eyes, and she barely heard Luna whisper, "_Legilimens._" The world fell away and she was swept down into those eyes. Then suddenly she was Cho, cheering in the stands in front of the entrance to the maze. It was the day of the last task in the Triwizard Tournament. She was waiting for her champion, her love, her lover, to emerge from the maze. Two had been eliminated so far. All that remained were her friend Harry, and her most cherished Cedric. Then they were there, and her heart was joyous. The band struck up, and she rushed forward to properly congratulate her hero, but something was wrong. Harry was lying across Cedric quietly sobbing. Cedric's father wailed and cried as her eyes met Cedric's and found nothing there. Her world shattered into pain, grief, and loss. She was drowning, she couldn't breath, she couldn't see, all she could feel was her ragged throat as scream after scream was torn from it. Then Harry was gone, and she was in his place, her hands on Cedric's collar. She was pleading, begging, demanding that he come back to her or take her with him. Cho collapsed, and the whole of her universe was shock, sorrow, and desolation.

The vision vanished and Pansy was on her knees, sobs wracking her body. She had lived that moment of Cho's life, felt every emotion, every physical nuance as if it were her own. _How could one person hold so much agony?_ she thought. Quivering she rose to her feet and faced Cho. "I–" was all she could get out before she succumbed again. Cho took her hand.

"We invest all we are in our loves. We give our hearts to this person to hold and care for. If we're lucky they do care for them and treat them gently, and if we're even luckier they give us theirs." She squeezed Pansy's hand so that she would look up at her again. "The Dark Lord took Cedric from me, uncaring in his selfishness. No woman should ever act that way…should ever do that… take another woman's love." She released her hand and stepped back.

Ginny moved forward. Where Cho was dressed all in midnight blue, Ginny was completely draped in red. "This is the lesson that I choose to share with you Pansy; you weren't there for it the first time." Ginny's eyes swallowed her.

Her brother was dead. It couldn't be, but it was. Fred, who had always been there to shield her from her other brothers when they got too rough; Fred, with his laughing eyes and his kind heart. Her beloved Fred, who had taken the blame for her wrong doing so many times, was lying in the middle of the great hall along with the rest of the victims of the Dark Lord's vendetta against Harry. He was gone, and her mother was inconsolable. Ginny's heart had a hole where he should have been. They said this was "numb", but how could she be numb and in such pain at the same time? Then that hated voice had come again, telling lies. It had said that her only love, her reason for being was dead too, and that could not be. She ran down the steps to see for herself, and Harry was there, lying before the feet of the Dark Lord. She screamed Harry's name as rage and grief consumed her.

Pansy had managed to stay on her feet this time as the other woman's emotions had seared through her, but it hadn't lessened the impact. Ginny had sustained two enormous blows to the heart, and Pansy had felt it all. A love and a brother taken at nearly the same time; Pansy wondered at how Ginny had not been destroyed. "Our family and our loves are our strength, our shelter, and our solace. It is a great evil to disrupt that," Ginny said simply.

Trembling, Pansy turned to Lavender. Her beauty was obvious. Tawny brown fur covered her body, and it was punctuated by several white dots on her waist below her left breast. There were four long jagged white lines across that same breast and four smaller white lines across her left thigh. A small gold ring gleamed on her finger. Her hair, framing the wolf's face, should have been odd and out of place, but Lavender had had it cut and coiffed so that it fit. The wolf's body was lithe and powerfully built, but undeniably feminine. She smelled of flowers and grass, and she was terrible and fascinating to behold. Lavender was just recognizable beneath the wolf, and that's what frightened Pansy most of all, to see her there encased in the monster. "Do you think you know fear? Do you think you know sorrow?" The words were almost unintelligible, hidden in a growl. Pansy stared at the ground. "Look at me!" Pansy looked up into Lavender's eyes, and those golden orbs took her.

She had cried all the tears that she thought she had, but her supply seemed endless. Madam Pomfrey had kept her sleeping most of the time, to help her heal she had said. Lavender knew though, it was to keep her from the thoughts that were currently consuming her. Physical beauty was what had defined Lavender Brown; she had no real image of herself that didn't revolve around how she looked. Now that beauty was gone. Scars riddled her left side where Greyback had bitten and clawed her, and hot new tears stung. There were always more. She raised her hand, cupped her scarred breast, and wept again.

Some friends had come to see her, Parvati mostly, not many others. They had held her hand and offered platitudes, but her new senses told her more. In all but Parvati she could smell their fear. She could see how their eyes moved when they were around her, like trapped rabbits. Their skin flushed, their hair prickled, and all these things made a deep part of her want to chase them down in the moonlight. To see their trapped eyes, smell the sweet tang of their fear, and bathe in their blood. That she would do this if given the opportunity, to any and all of them, caused waves of terror and self loathing to sweep through her.

The first full moon was tonight. She was still too weak to bear the side effects of the potion, so Madam Pomfrey had arranged for her to be moved to a room that could contain her, and yet let her not hurt herself or anyone else. Lavender had told Madam Pomfrey and her staff that they had been very generous, and she would try to be as little trouble as possible. What none of them knew was that Lavender would be dead by her own hand before the sun set. She had her wand, she had a mirror, and she knew that the last unforgivable curse when fired into a mirror would kill the caster. She called for parchment and quills to write letters to her family and friends. Madam Pomfrey thought that was a good sign. Lavender could barely see through the tears as she set her first line down.

_Dear mother, _

_I love you so, and I'm so sorry to say goodbye this way…_

And she was in despair.

Pansy couldn't breath. A dead weight was constricting her chest, and at last a keen of misery escaped her. Her breath came in heaving sobs. She was lying curled on the ground hugging her knees. The werewolf gently lifted her to her feet, and drew her into an embrace. "And that…is why we howl," she said, and Pansy hugged her with all the force she could muster. The wolf was warm and gentle as she stroked Pansy's hair. There was no fear now. Pansy thought she could stay there forever in Lavender's safe, warm arms, _But,_ she thought, _they brought me her to learn, and learn I have_. She drew away from Lavender and looked up into her face.

"I see now," she said as she wiped her eyes. "You have all been through so much." She looked into infinity over Lavender's shoulder and shook her head. "So much," she said in an awed voice, and then she looked at the ground in shame. "It was wrong of me to be so selfish. I should never have tried to seduce Ron."

"That's a good part of it, yes," said Luna, "but more will come to you as you look back on this night."

Cho held out Pansy's wand to her. She took it, and silently slid it into her holster.

"You can leave now, if you want," said Cho.

"But there's still more to learn, isn't there," Pansy said as she turned to Luna.

"Yes." This from Cho.

"And I have to ask, don't I?"

"Yes," Luna said her smile fading, "though these final lessons are not for the faint of heart."

Pansy straightened herself, swallowed hard and said, "I was taught by Severus Snape to fear no knowledge. You have taught me much; I would know it all."

She looked deep into Luna's eyes. "Please, show me."

Luna nodded and looked at her as mother would to a child: kind, wise and loving. "This is where the dark path leads; this is why we fight, and this is what sisters do." The world flew away into darkness.


	2. Performance

Sisters of the Moon

Chapter 2

Performance

Pansy was swept back into the dark void. She felt the now familiar sensation of becoming another person, and then she was Luna being led by Mr. Pettigrew up to the great room.

Another night had fallen, and yet again she was to be the evening's entertainment. It had happened often enough that she was used to it by now. She would be taunted and ridiculed for her and her father's peculiar beliefs. She would beImperiused, and made to perform rude speeches for Mr. Malfoy. Mrs. Malfoy would make her dance, and Draco liked her to sing. Madam Lestrange preferred other pleasures. She would Cruciate Luna, ask her if she was enjoying her stay, and then Cruciate her again. Sometimes she took the opportunity to make Draco cast the curse, but Draco's curse lacked the edge and bite of Madam Lestrange's, and this had not escaped the evil woman's notice. She made Draco practice over and over, and Luna had taken to faking the same kind of agony that Madam Lestrange's curse produced whenever the maniacal witch made Draco torture her. Luna was sure that Draco knew what she was doing.

Mr. Ollivander was a great help. He had been there when she arrived, and had helped her come back to herself after the Dark Lord had interrogated her. Voldemort had done something that she could not explain. He had invaded her, forced his way into her mind, rifled through her memories, thoughts and feelings, and cast her aside as useless. The old man had explained what Legilimenc_y_ was, how he had a minor talent for it, and how it enabled him to be so good at matching wizard and wand. He had been very pleased to discover that she had an extraordinary gift for the art. Luna found that, with a bit of concentration, she could sense people's feelings and immediate thoughts without them knowing. Unlike the Dark Lord, she didn't force her way into others' minds; she touched them gently, like the breath of a butterfly. Sharing and retrieving memories was a bit more difficult and obvious, and she did that only with Mr. Ollivander's permission. These parts of Legilimency could be practiced without a wand, and so they had sat there in the dark cellar, escaping into each other's memories. As time passed, and the months went by, she became very good at it.

Mrs. Malfoy was always the one who healed her cuts and bruises, and cleaned her after her "performances". She never spoke to Luna other than to give her instructions, but Luna thought she could see sadness behind her mask. One night, as Mrs. Malfoy was mending a particularly vicious cut Madam Lestrange had left on her thigh, she decided to look into her mind. What she found there shocked her. Narcissa Malfoy was a study in turmoil. She knew she was on the wrong side in this tragic conflict but could see no way out. Her husband had fallen from the Dark Lord's grace; her son had barely escaped death and was torn and broken himself. One sister was barking mad, and the other she hadn't seen in years. To add to all of that, there was this girl… this could have been her child if the stars had been right. She had almost the same white blond hair that was so striking on her husband and son, the same deep, soul searching eyes as she herself had, only Luna's were misty blue, and she had a pleasant and polite demeanor even in the midst of torture. Her frustration, desperation, and misery at her situation resided just under the surface of her placid disguise. Luna cried for her that night, and Luna hardly ever cried.

From then on she would escape into Mrs. Malfoy's mind when things got rough during her "performance". She couldn't go while she was being Cruciated, but when the pain let up she could take a small excursion and recuperate. While she danced she could feel Mrs. Malfoy's pride in her, observing that Luna was treating these moments as lessons so that she could better entertain the lady of the house. When she sang she felt Narcissa's love for her son, and knew Draco was a victim here too.

Mr. Pettigrew was shivering when he opened the door to the great room, and as she stepped onto her "stage" she saw why.

_**He **_was here.

"This is one of our toys, my Lord," Madam Lestrange said. "Perhaps you remember it?"

"Yes." The sibilant hiss slid across the room. "I remember it well. It has an interesting, if somewhat deluded mind. Very loyal to Potter as I recall."

"Yes, my Lord," Mr. Malfoy interjected. "But it has other talents. It's a passable singer, a better dancer, and I thoroughly enjoy its speeches on the failings of Potter and Dumbledore."

"What game shall we play with it tonight my Lord? Shall we make it dance for you? Sing your praise?" asked Madam Lestrange.

"I have a new game for you, a better one," he said, leaning forward and smiling. "Make it beg for death."

Madam Lestrange cackled with delight at the suggestion, and raised her wand.

"No Bella, you've had enough practice at this. The Longbottoms are a work of art."

"My Lord embarrasses me," she said with genuine humility.

"Draco, come here. You still have so much to learn," the Dark Lord said with a wave of his hand.

Draco moved to Voldemort's side, and raised his wand. "_Cru…_"

"No, no, no, Draco. Take your time. You must relish this torture, not rush like a teenage boy to his first girl." He stroked his chin. "Hmm… yes, make it disrobe."

Luna had been expecting this for quite some time, and she had been surprised it hadn't happened sooner. Her hands moved to the buttons on her collar.

"NO!" the Dark lord spat in a fury. "You will only do what you are made to do. _Crucio!_"

Luna's body exploded in a maelstrom of fire, knives, and needles, and she screamed. Where Draco's curse was a painful slap, and Madam Lestrange's was a full body punch from a razor blade glove, this was being torn by a thousand dull blades and dropped in boiling salt water. Her throat ached as she rose to her feet to face her audience. But she would not let a tear fall, not for _him_. She was steel, and would not be broken by the likes of this fallen, debased, shell of a human. Luna stood with her arms at her sides, her face hard and determined. He was laughing, and continuing his instruction of Draco.

"There Draco, you see, that is a properCruciatu_s._"

Draco was staring at the floor. "I see, my Lord," he said stiffly.

The Dark Lord smiled. "Now, make it disrobe."

Draco raised his wand. Luna looked into his eyes, and saw the conflict. His expression told her that this was the last thing he wanted. She gave him a small nod trying to convey, _it's alright, you're not doing this,__** he**__ is. I'll be fine._ He straightened, and composed himself.

"_Imperio._"

The warm, almost comforting sensation of the imperious curse filled her. _Take off your shirt… please. _ Luna could feel his plead in the command. Draco's Imperius was not strong to begin with, and when his heart wasn't in the curse it really wasn't that effective. She could have fought it easily but instead decided to help him. Her hands came to her shirt. The risk in helping Draco with his clumsy Imperius was causing her to tremble a little. If Voldemort caught her at it he'd Cruciate her again, or worse, and Luna thought that once was certainly enough. The Dark Lord didn't seem to notice, however, and soon her shirt was off.

_And now your skirt._ Draco had a bit more confidence this time, but still the curse was weak. She helped again, and saw the relief in his eyes when he realized what she was doing.

"Good, Draco, you're getting the feel for it now," Madam Lestrange said.

_Take off your shoes and stockings… I'm sorry._ She felt the conflict and shame in his mind through the connection in the curse. Luna's will and confidence were so much stronger than Draco's that she could have turned the curse back on him if she had really tried, but at this point it would serve no purpose, and probably wind up getting them both tortured, so she helped him again.She sat down and slowly removed her shoes and stockings. He stood her up and turned her to the wall.

_The rest… I hate him for this_. His Imperious was really not very good; she should never have felt his revulsion. She sent a small wave of forgiveness back to Draco through the connection in the curse, and then her hands went to the clasp of her bra. The Dark Lord and Madam Lestrange roared with laughter as she undid the clasp. At last the small piece of lace and silk floated to the floor. Her knickers followed, and he made her turn to the room.

Luna was not embarrassed in the least to be naked. Her upbringing was such that she never felt ashamed or self-conscious of her body. She looked to Mrs. Malfoy, and found pride and compassion in her eyes. Luna stood, arms at her sides, waiting for the next command.

"I always find that removing their clothes makes them more vulnerable, don't you Bella?" the Dark Lord asked.

"Of course my Lord, their clothes are part of their defense," came her simpering answer.

"Draco," – the younger Malfoy flinched visibly– "what does it do to please you?"

Draco's voice quavered. "S.. sing, my Lord."

"Show me."

There was a relieved tone in the curse. _Sing, Winter... Please, Luna._

Her raw throat gave a huskiness to her voice that fitted with the popular song Draco chose.

"_Snow can wait, I've forgot my mittens._

_Wipe my nose; put my new boots on…"_

Luna smiled at Draco as she sang. She liked this song, and Draco knew it.

"…_I'll tell you that I'll always want you near._

_They say that things change…my dear"_

"Very nice Draco, but it doesn't suit our game this evening. What should it do next?"

Draco had no answer apparently.

"You disappoint, Draco, but that is no surprise given your lineage." Voldemort's sneer was evident in his tone. "Allow me, I wish to hear it scream again. _Crucio._"

In the part of her mind that wasn't consumed in agony Luna was intrigued by the difference in the curse this time. Before it was the sensation of being flayed and boiled, this time it was being eaten from the inside by an army of ants and wasps.

She felt slightly sick as she rose to her feet, and she was shaking a little. Luna took this opportunity while they talked to slip into Mrs. Malfoy for a short break. She saw herself through Mrs. Malfoy's eyes and became concerned. She was shaking far more than she had thought, her nose had bled, and few drops of blood were trailing down her breasts. Then darkness descended on her.

_So, you can do it too,_ his voice said in her mind. _So much the better_. His presence bloomed around her, and the Dark Lord forcibly took her into Narcissa's deepest core.

She was hopeless. She loved her husband powerfully, but was sorely disappointed by his lack of spine. Her son, her reason for continuing, was being used and abused by the Dark Lord and she could not object. She was completely isolated from the companionship of other women. She had no friends among the Death Eaters, Bellatrix was completely round the bend, and Andromeda…she missed her so. In the still of the night she wept cold tears of shame and remorse. Then there was Luna, whom she had come to care for far more deeply than she would have liked. She was going to die, here, tonight, by the Dark Lords hand, and Narcissa could do nothing to stop it. She was trapped, and she could see no way to change things. The Dark Lord relished her torment. It was like sweet wine on his lips, and he made Luna taste it too.

She was swept back into her own body, and she nearly fell over. Her very obvious sway elicited a round of laughter from Voldemort, Bellatrix, and Mr. Malfoy.

The Dark Lord clapped his hands. "An excellent game, but still the goal has not been reached."

Luna steadied herself, and looked into the Dark Lord's red slit eyes.

_Do your worst,_ she thought at him. _I will not break._

_Really, little girl, you over estimate yourself,_ came his wordless reply.

The Dark Lord turned to the young man at his side. "Draco, the Cruciatus curse."

"Yes, my Lord." Draco's eyes begged Luna to forgive him. "_Crucio!_"

Draco's heart really wasn't in the curse, and Luna thought she should add a little to the show. She let out a wail she hoped would placate Voldemort, but then he was there again, in her mind, and he took her into Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius had been broken. His power, influence, and a large amount of his wealth were gone. He had failed Voldemort several times, and he was amazed at his continued existence, but he knew that his time was short. Voldemort was simply waiting for the right moment, the right task for Lucius to sacrifice himself. When it came he would have no choice but to obey, and so he was a man waiting for a death he knew was coming sooner rather than later. That Voldemort knew all this and still played the guest filled Luna with revulsion. The flavor of Lucius's misery was deeper and more bitter than that of his wife. The Dark Lord savored it and forced Luna to partake of its depths.

The room was swimming around her, and she barely heard his voice as he spoke. "Again, Draco."

The curse had a bit more strength this time, but still not enough to drive Voldemort from her. Together they invaded Draco.

He didn't want this; he didn't want any of it. He'd been enthralled by the thought of the Dark Lord, never considering the reality. Voldemort forced Draco to do the most cruel and evil things, but always with an air of instruction. Draco's heartbreak was entirely different from that of his parents. He wanted nothing more than what he saw among his schoolmates; however, it seemed that was not to be. His mother was cold and aloof. He knew she loved him, but she hardly ever showed it. His father was a crushed man. He had failed, and Draco had been punished for it. He would continue to be punished for it. Torturing the old man was bad enough, but now he was plumbing an entirely new depth of depravity. The girl before him had shown him what bravery really was. She had dealt with the humiliations heaped upon her by him and his family with a grace and dignity that he could not comprehend. He hated it when his aunt made him hurt the girl. Bellatrix was certifiable and he was afraid that he would become like her in the end, soulless and insane.

Worst of all, he was beginning to have feelings for Luna. At first she was a curiosity and he shared his father's humor at her oddity. As time passed, he found that the only times he was happy were those golden moments when she sang and danced for him and his mother. He had hoped she understood his silent thanks when she had played up the effects of his uninspired cursing and he came to understand that she was his only friend in this house that had become a prison. Now she stood before him in a state he had only thought about late at night, in his room, with the lights out. But this was not how it was supposed to be. She was suspended in the air from his curse, trembling, her beautiful naked body dappled in blood. He was deeply ashamed of the pain he was causing her and the stirring in his loins.

Voldemort was giddy with pleasure at Draco's torment, and then he showed Luna the full scope of the game_** he**_ was playing. Lucius had failed him, and he had to pay the price of failure. Draco was a tool in that punishment. The whole Malfoy family knew the truth, but lived in denial. Narcissa played the polite hostess, but could not hide her anguish at their situation. That he could drink deep from Narcissa's private hell was a pleasant bonus. And then there was Draco; he was best of all. The slow, steady breaking of this young man had been a thrill that he had not anticipated. The taste of his disillusionment with his father, the sweet swirl of fear and disappointment at his own inability, and now the deliciousness of his shame and self-loathing at the torture of Luna. All these things were a banquet for Voldemort. Lastly he showed Luna what she was to him. Merely a tool to torture Draco and Narcissa with, and when it no longer pained Draco to hurt her she would serve her final purpose, to shatter Draco's soul when Voldemort made him kill her.

Luna dropped to the floor, shivering and gasping for breath. She tasted blood, and spat some from her mouth. _I must have bitten my tongue,_ she thought. Her surroundings were coming back to her and she could hear Voldemort and Madam Lestrange laughing. When she got to her hands and knees and looked up she saw Draco, with a sad and twisted grimace on his face. His wand was almost vibrating in his hand, it was quivering so much. Mrs. Malfoy was as stern and solemn as ever, but her eyes welled with unshed tears. When she looked at the Dark Lord he gave her a knowing nod and laughed even louder. Luna's face and spirit mirrored each other and she rose once again to her feet. Cold determination and defiance coursed though her as she faced him. He was evil and she would be put to this use no longer.

In words that no one but the Dark Lord could hear she said, _Kill me._

His red slit eyes narrowed slightly and he floated into her mind for the last time. _No, silly girl. _His eyes wandered to the Malfoy family beside him and then back to her. _You're not the object of the_ _game,_ and he laughed.


	3. Redemption

Sisters of the Moon

Chapter 3

Redemption

Pansy floated in blackness. _Don't take me back_, she sent. _That was so awful, I don't know if I could bear it._

A warm comforting presence cradled her. _Yes you could: I did. You'd be surprised at how strong you really are, but we have more to show you. That was the dark path, this is the light._

_-~####_

She was Luna again. Mrs. Malfoy had led her from the great room to a nearby bathroom. She was giving her a gentle sponge bath, mending her wounds, and desperately trying not to cry. Every now and again, when Luna's back was to her, she heard her release a catching sob. When she was clean, healed, and dressed, Mrs. Malfoy led her back to the cellar. As she opened the door Luna turned to her.

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy," she said, and before Narcissa could react Luna stepped up to her and drew her into a hug. She felt an enormous wave of relief and sadness flow through Narcissa. A soft hand stroked down the back of her head, and tears, a lot of tears, fell in her hair.

Blackness.

She was Cho, in the owlery. She and Cedric had spent their last romantic moments here. This was where she came to mourn him, and to weep, as she was doing now.

"He's not really gone you know," a soft voice said from behind her.

The blonde girl with the odd earrings, two years her junior, was staring at her with wide blue eyes. Cho hadn't heard her come up the stairs.

"I saw his body!" she spat.

"You saw his shell," was Luna's calm reply

She walked up to Cho. "My mother died when I was nine. It was a shock, but I soon came to realize that she hadn't left me at all."

Cho was puzzled.

"She's here." Luna placed her hand over her heart.

"And here." She touched her forehead.

"And here." Luna spread her arms wide to indicate everywhere.

"Cedric didn't leave you. His physical presence was taken from you, violently." Luna took Cho's hand. "That he is not here as a ghost means he's at peace, he's moved on."

Tears were streaming down Cho's face once again.

"He would not want you to waste your life mourning him. He would want you to live, and love, and be happy, and be the woman he loved." Luna released her hand and turned to an owl. "Come Chester." The owl fluttered off its perch, and landed on her arm.

As she gave it the letter she said, "One day, when you move on, you'll see him again. I think he'll be very happy at the life you'll have led."

These simple words from this extraordinary girl gave Cho more comfort than all the platitudes and consolations she had received in the last few weeks. As Luna turned to go, Cho said a halting, "Thank you."

Luna smiled and left.

-~####

She was Ginny running back up the steps of the school, and pandemonium ruled the day. A Death Eater reared up in front of her, and she blasted him through the doors to the great hall. Then Luna was by her side, and they were firing curses and jinxes at any foe they could find.

A voice rang out in the hall: "BELLATRIX LESTRANGE!" It was Hermione, striding through the great room towards the woman in black. Ginny looked at Luna, and they both dashed to Hermione's side. With her head held high Hermione wore an expression both inspiring and terrifying. Bellatrix watched the trio march across the room to face her.

"Ahh, the mudblood and the oddity, but who is your friend?" She said as she fired her first round of curses at them. "And I'll have my wand back!"

Hermione cracked a fierce grin. "Molon labe," she said through clenched teeth. With a growl of pure hatred she sent a huge swirl of blue flame at the woman in black. Voldemort's most faithful servant was not without skill herself. She blocked Ginny's _Expelliarmus!_ and Luna's tripping jinx at the same time as she quickly levitated a table into the path of the flames. One eyebrow tipped toward Hermione as the table was incinerated. "I'm impressed, little Mudblood," she said.

"Well I have got a very good wand," Hermione said, taunting her.

Bellatrix danced and pranced, whirling and ducking, and just barely dodging the three young women's spells. All the while she was taunting them, trying to get under their skin. It wasn't working. The longer the fight went on the more the girls fought as one. In the part of her that wasn't devoted to the battle, Ginny felt a ferocious delight. They weren't just friends, a different magic was swirling between them, and they were connected. She knew what Luna would do next, saw that she needed to parry a blast from Bellatrix to provide cover for Hermione's next curse, and watched as Luna's shield charm deflected yet another stream of green from Bellatrix's wand.

"Who are you?" Bellatrix asked grinning, as Ginny's blasting curse evaporated a bench next to her.

"Ginevra Weasley. You and your friends killed my brother, Fred, you fucking whore."

"Oh, tisk, tisk, such language. What would Mummy say?" And another green jet sailed past Ginny's ear.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" a voice roared.

"Something like that!" Ginny said beaming.

Ginny had seen her mother mad, sad, helpless with laughter, and most recently heartbroken to a depth she couldn't imagine. But she had never seen her mother like this. Cold unquenchable fury burned in her; Ginny could feel it. Her mother looked 10 years younger, as she too skipped and wove in lethal dance with Bellatrix. _Damn, she's good_, Ginny thought and her heart nearly burst with pride as she realized that Bellatrix was losing. Bellatrix taunted her mother once too often, and when she heard her mother's voice take on **that** tone, the youngest Weasley knew Bellatrix was finished. Ginny looked towards Luna and shook her head, thinking at her, _this woman doesn't know what she's just unleashed_. Her mother swatted away Bellatrix's curses like irksome flies, and then sent a curse straight to her heart. As the dark haired body fell to the floor Ginny, Luna, and Hermione ran to her mother and drew her into a mass hug.

Then Harry, – impossibly – was there, alive, and he was lecturing Voldemort! Her heart froze, her mind was blank and all she could do was watch as the final act played out. The dawn broke and it was over: Harry had won, they had won, and she ran to him. Luna and Hermione, her sisters, shoved her into Harry's arms, and they shared a brief, passionate kiss. Then he was borne away by the crowd.

-~####

She was Lavender laying the last lines.

…_I just couldn't forgive myself if that happened._

_ I love you so,_

_ Lavender_

The door to the hospital wing flew open and slammed against the wall. A group of women strode down the aisle toward her, Hermione at their head. She looked behind them and saw Professor McGonagall in a heated discussion with Madam Pomfrey.

Hermione stopped in front of her bed. "You're coming with us." It wasn't a question; it wasn't a demand; it was just a fact.

"I can't, it's the full moon and…"

"Yes, we know. Get up," Hermione said.

"Really Hermione," – tears were welling once again in her eyes – "you think you can just walk in here an…"

Hermione cut her off. "You think we don't know what you're planning to do in…ohh…about half an hour?" She ripped the parchment out of Lavender's hands, and threw it over her shoulder. It burst into flames and was ash before it hit the floor.

"Get. Up." There was no anger in her voice, but it was stern, hard, like Professor McGonagall's sometimes was.

"What do you think you're going to do?" Lavender said, haughtily.

Hermione smiled a little. "Help," she said in a soft, kind voice.

Lavender actually laughed, she hadn't done that in weeks. "Oh right, I forgot! The brilliant Hermione Granger can do anything she likes. She can have any boy she wants, she can wrap professors around her little finger with her silver tongue, she can do anything. Well, miss super witch, this is one thing that's out of your control. There's nothing you can do to help. Nobody can help."

"You're so very wrong about that Lavender." It was Luna. Lavender rather liked Luna.

"We've actually been working on this since you were bitten," she said. "I've been keeping an eye one you, and when I felt you this afternoon I told them we needed to act quickly. So, come on now, get up and come with us."

"But it's not safe! I'm not safe!" Lavender shouted. Tears were starting to roll down her cheeks yet again.

Luna smiled. "How well do you know Hermione?"

Lavender thought for a moment. She actually felt that she knew Hermione pretty well. Six years in the same house, same room in fact, shared boyfriend, shared classes and they were in the DA together.

"Yes," – Luna nodded – "so, don't you think 'miss super witch' might have done just a little research into this… problem of yours?"

"A little research?" laughed Angelina Johnson. "Yeah."

"NEWT thesis work, more like," said Katie Bell.

"What are you going to do?" Lavender said as she looked at Hermione.

"Well, there are some potions, some spells, and… some other things," said Hermione, laying a hand on Lavender's shoulder. "Time to go, Lav."

Lavender's hands tangled in the bedclothes. "But I'll hurt you; maybe kill you…or worse."

"You can smell fear, correct?" Hermione asked.

Lavender nodded.

"Do you smell it now?"

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. There was no fear in the air; in fact there was a different scent, a scent of women and strength. An unexpected wave of gratitude ran through her. She looked at Hermione with shining eyes, half smiling.

"No."

"We're not afraid. Are you a Gryffindor or not?" Hermione grinned and held out her hand. "Time to go."

Lavender took Hermione's hand.

When reality folded back out of the darkness, they were standing on a flat rocky outcrop. There was a steep rise at one end of the island, with a small rock house perched on it. A circle of standing stones was set around them and a cauldron simmered in the center. The women spread around the circle as Hermione led Lavender to a spot near the cauldron. The sun was low on the horizon when Hermione stepped to the north stone and started to cast the circle. The seven other women raised their wands, and Lavender felt an immense swirl of magic flow around them. She was overwhelmed as Hermione turned and spoke in a loud, commanding voice.

"A sister is alone. Will we come to her?"

"YES!"

"A sister is in need. Will we help her?"

"YES!"

"A sister is in danger. Will we fight for her?"

"YES!"

Hermione crossed to Lavender's side.

"This potion helps ease the pain of the transition; in time you won't need it. Here." She ladled a portion into a cup. "It's actually not bad."

Lavender took a cautious sip; Hermione's idea of "not bad" could be suspect, but she was right. It was a little tart with a hint of dirt. Hermione levitated the cauldron and floated it over to the north stone.

"This potion" – she pulled a small vial from her robes – "will dim the fire in your blood."

It tasted like soap, and Lavender made a face.

Hermione smiled. "Professor Slughorn was right, yeah?"

Lavender handed her the bottle. "I've had worse… recently."

A giggle went around the circle, and Lavender felt love and friendship produce a large lump in her throat. Hermione produced a little bottle of gold liquid from her robes.

"And this potion will help you gain control of the beast, but first it must be charged. Ladies?"

Hermione placed the small vial on the tip of her wand. A small dent in the bottom held it in place as she raised it over her head.

"One, Two, Three."

Seven golden streams converged on the vial. Lavender was awed by the power she could see pouring into it, and the effort it was costing the women around her.

"Good. Now drink it." Hermione handed her the vial. She downed it in one like a shot of firewhiskey, and that was how it felt as it burned its way down. Suddenly her intellect sharpened, her thoughts were clearer than they had ever been, and she could almost hear the minds around her. Lavender looked to her left and her heart raced; the sun had set.

"Are you sure?" she implored Hermione.

"Yes, we're sure. Luna knows an art that will help us reach you, bring you out, and Cho and I have been studying with Professor McGonagall." She leaned in to Lavender and said in a quiet voice, "I had to change my Patronus, but it was worth it."

Hermione backed away from Lavender and threw off her robes. She was quite suddenly naked. Lavender looked around, and all the women had dropped their robes to the ground. It heartened her to see that fully half of them, including Hermione, hadn't made it through the war without scars of their own, yet they bore them proudly. Hermione was changing, getting taller, and brown fur was starting to sprout all over her body. Cho was changing too. She was on her hands and knees, white fur sweeping over her. Their bodies stretched and swelled in odd places, and in moments a large brown bear and a snow leopard stood in the circle. Luna stepped forward.

"They can't talk in their animagus forms like you'll eventually be able to, but I can reach them. I can hear them now. Here, let's save the hospital gown."

Lavender was embarrassed for a moment as Luna helped her remove the robe, but then she realized they didn't pity her for her scars, they respected her for them. The sun had gone and there was a white glow in the eastern sky. Around her six women, wands in hand, waited. Flanked by the bear and the leopard she was moved to speak one last time before the change. Her voice shook with emotion.

"Thank you, thank you all. Luna, Parvati, Padma." She turned on the spot to address them all. "Katie, Angelina, Ginny, I just...UHH—"

She clutched her stomach and her eyes flew wide.

"It's coming! AAAHHH!"

She fell to her knees, her bones aching as they stretched and changed. First coarse, then fine soft hair began sprouting from her. It itched badly. Then the fire came, and the wolf. That far away secret desire she had felt in the infirmary was nothing to the bloodlust that gripped her now. The wolf rose in the moonlight, and a howl tore the night asunder. Prey was all around, what to choose? She leapt towards Padma, and a huge paw slapped her back across the circle to slide into Ginny's shield charm. She rounded on Ginny, and the leopard tackled her. Together they rolled into Angelina's shield. The leopard threw her off and the bear pinned her.

"NOW!" shouted Luna. "_Immobilius!_"

The wolf was frozen. Her muscles strained to move her immobilized limbs but it was no use.

"Quickly, quickly."

The women gathered around the wolf as the bear and the leopard backed away. Luna pointed her wand squarely between eyes of the wolf and five hands laid over hers.

Misty blue eyes looked into fierce golden ones. "_Legilimens._"

They were in the wolf, and the wolf in them, suspended in a void. It wanted to tear at them, but they were untouchable. It wanted to flee, but it couldn't run. They had it cornered, trapped, but they didn't pounce.

_Lavender, come back to us,_ came a chorus of six voices. _You have the power, you have the strength, you have your sisters._

In a far off land of nightmares a young woman awoke.

It was like swimming upward though dark, thick water, but the golden potion had worked. Lavender touched her sisters' minds and found a power there. She turned to the wolf in her and mastered it, then with the gentle touch of her sisters, she tamed it.

_Are you ready?_ The chorus said.

_I think so_, Lavender sent.

As she opened her eyes the six women stepped back. Lavender rose. The blood lust was still there, but she didn't have to obey it. The fire was there, but it didn't burn. She turned to them and smiled. Luna approached and cupped her cheek.

"You're really quite beautiful, as a woman, and a wolf."

Lavender tried to say "thank you" but it came out as "toworerou."

The women's laughter was warm and loving.

"That's going to take some practice," said Luna, and they all laughed again.

The night had gone from Lavender's worst nightmare to the best moment in her life. She had been saved. She felt a debt of gratitude to these women that she could never repay. They brushed her fur, combed her tail, and spoke to her as an equal. She was just another woman in the group. Then they Apparated to a field near by. The wolf, the leopard, and the bear romped under the moon as the other women laughed, danced, and occasionally rode one of them.

-~####

She was Luna on the back step of number twelve Grimmauld Place. It was the morning, or more properly, the afternoon, after Harry's nineteenth birthday. The revelers were just starting to stir. Dean was still asleep upstairs in Mrs. Black's old room, and a smile played on Luna's face. Harry had insisted; he had said if anyone could undo the lingering malevolence in the room it was Luna. Seamus and Lavender, morning tea in hand, were talking rather intently on a bench a little way away in the garden. Luna was very pleased at this little development. They had both been in the DA, but had really got to know each other because of Luna helping Lavender, and Seamus being Dean's best friend.

"Who knew the little munchkin liked it furry and rough?" Dean had said one evening not long ago, to Luna's amusement. She didn't think they'd taken it that far yet, but it wouldn't be long.

"Morning Luna," said Cho as she sat next to her. "I'd have expected you to still be asleep."

"Why's that?"

"Well, it's hard to put this delicately, but you two are somewhat…vocal."

"Dean did the silencing charm..." Luna said, looking puzzled.

"He missed a bit of the floor. Angelina and I thought it was a radio for a while, and then it dawned on us. It was you." Cho grinned. "Luna? You sing?"

"Well, yes we all…Oh, you mean …"

"Yes." Cho nudged her, "Where'd you pick that up?"

"It just occurred to me a while back that men like us to sing, and I thought Dean might like it during…um…well… the warm up part." There was a pause. "He does," she said with a wicked grin.

"How'd you know the bit about men liking us to sing?"

Luna's smile left her; she was quiet for a while. Cho could see that she was lost in remembering. "Draco liked me to sing."

Cho nodded, and said in a much more serious manner, "Luna, I've watched you answer this question a few times. You gloss over it, you deflect, you make light, I don't think you've actually lied, I really don't think you can lie, but I also don't think you've ever told anyone the whole story." Her expression clouded. "What really happened at the Malfoys'?"

Luna was quiet for a long time. "No, you're right. I haven't told, not even Dean." She was quite again.

"After everything you've done for us, Luna, for Lavender, Parvati, me, Hermione, all of us. After all of that you're still shy of asking our help?" Cho asked.

"It's…big," Luna said softly.

"Listen, you saw what it did for Hermione, to share her torture at the hands of Bellatrix with us. Your use of Legilimencylet her unburden herself, it freed her and it bonded us in way I was unprepared for. Let us help you."

Luna turned to her. "You remember the pain, yes? When Hermione relived those tortures."

"Yes."

"It would be worse."

A light was dawning in Cho's eyes and she nodded. "And you don't think the other eight of us can handle it?"

"Oh…I think you could, but I don't want to inflict it on you."

"_You_ wouldn't be inflicting anything on us. Listen, we've all talked. We know you've been keeping it private, and we respect that, but you've got to let it out. We've been noticing that you're not as happy as you should be, especially considering Dean, and occasionally we see you crying for no reason. That's really not you at all."

Luna nodded. "No, I suppose not, but you don't know what you're asking."

"Oh, I think we do. You spent months there, and it's not as though Bellatrix didn't have ample opportunity to do to you what she did to Hermione," Cho said with an air of disgust.

"She did, but it wasn't just her," Luna said, almost in a whisper.

Cho took her hand. "It doesn't matter. We don't care about that, we care about you." Cho squeezed Luna's hand so Luna would look at her. "A sister is in need, and I would help. I know you don't want to show me, but could you tell me? Please?"

A single tear escaped Luna's eye. It was time at last. "All right."

They found a secluded bench in the garden, and then Luna told Cho everything. From the terror of being dragged from the train by Death Eaters, and the degradations at the hands of Bellatrix and the Malfoys, to her torture at the hands of the Dark Lord, all of it. Cho started out asking a few questions from time to time, but by the end of the tale she was simply drop jawed, tears drawing lines down her face.

"How did you survive?" Cho said in a whisper, mostly to herself. "Doesn't matter, you're here," she said, composing herself. "Don't go wandering off tonight. Tell Dean you've got a date with your sisters, and we'll collect you around nine."

-~####

"A sister is in need, will we help her?"

"YES!"

"A sister is in sorrow, will we comfort her?"

"YES!"

"A sister is in pain, will we heal her?"

"YES!"

A fire blazed in the north of the circle casting flickering shadows on the stones. Eight women stood in a tight circle around Luna, all of them naked. Hermione, her back to the fire, looked into Luna's eyes.

"My beloved, beloved sister," she said. "You have carried a great weight, far greater than we knew, or we'd have been here sooner. We know the danger, we know there is pain, we know there is sorrow, and we would share that with you."

"I'm sorry I couldn't do this before now," Luna said staring at the ground. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"It hurts us more to see you suffer without our help," Hermione said, and nodded to the other girls. They all put a hand on Luna's skin: her arms, shoulders, back. "Please, show us."

Luna looked into Hermione's eyes, and the entire circle quietly said, "_Legilimens_."

They looked into her darkest times, and they found her pure. They saw how the Dark Lord had used her, and they reviled him for it. They felt her temptation at the elixir of others' pain, and they forgave her. They lifted the load from her shoulders and helped her bear it. When they had finished and she was wrapped in their arms, Luna realized that for the first time since she had left Malfoy Manor, she was truly free.

-~####

Pansy was cradled in their arms when she came back to herself. She had read "A Christmas Carol", but never thought anything like that could happen to her, and yet here she was, a changed woman in a single night. They really were four of the most powerful witches in England. Her heart swelled with affection for these women. She had hated some of them at times in her life and was deeply ashamed of the person she had been.

"We all make mistakes," Luna said with a knowing nod. "Don't dwell on them, learn from them."

"What do I do now?" Pansy asked as they released her from the embrace.

"That's entirely up to you," said Ginny. "I suggest that you get together with your friends, and form a coven like we did."

"And we'll help, if you want," said Lavender.

"It's what we're meant to do: love each other, care for each other, protect each other," Luna said, "and that's what we did here tonight."

"I should be furious with you," Pansy said with a smile. "You kidnapped me, essentially tortured me, and entered my mind forcibly, but all I can say is…thank you."

"You're quite welcome," Ginny told her with a smile. "Hermione will be pleased."

Pansy hung her head. "Tell her I'm sorry."

"You can tell her yourself," Ginny said sniggering. "Come to our next circle as my guest. We get together the first night of every full moon. Like Luna said, you're really lucky that was… well… night before last now, or things probably would have gone a little differently. It's not all bad for her you know. Part of canceling an _Amore_ potion…that is what it was right?"

Pansy nodded, and her cheeks coloured. "Yeah."

Ginny laughed again. "Yes, well part of canceling the effect involves a good deal of…closeness." A musical laughter ran through them. "And it's not like you were the only one to try. Why do you think my brother has that goblet in the first place?"

"I see your point," she said, nodding. Pansy had never felt this close to anyone in her life. "I just don't know how to thank you, all of you."

"Well I've got an idea," said Cho. "Sun's coming up, Lavender's going to be back to her beautiful self in a few minutes," – she winked at Lavender – "and I'm quite hungry. Let's get breakfast."

"Oh, I like this plan!" Ginny chimed in.

"Okay, I know a great place and it's my treat," Pansy said, smiling broadly. "It's the least I can do…for my sisters."


End file.
